English

Presidential election set for October 11

The House of Representatives of the Belarusian National Assembly unanimously voted Tuesday to set October 11 as the date for a presidential election.

The date had been proposed by the central election commission. Under the Electoral Code, this year`s presidential election is to be held no later than November 21, two months before the expiry of Alyaksandr Lukashenka`s current term.

While speaking to the House before the vote, Lidziya Yarmoshyna, head of the commission, noted that scheduling the election for October 11 would not require an extraordinary session of the House of Representatives and would make it possible to hold the election`s possible second round two months before the expiry of Mr. Lukashenka`s term.

The election commission said earlier that November 15 was the latest possible and likeliest date for the poll.

Ms. Yarmoshyna said on Tuesday that presidential elections in Belarus had been set for earlier dates than the latest possible ones in the past.

Ms Yarmoshyna dismissed opposition politicians` criticism of the decision to bring the election date forward as "far-fetched objections by critics of the government who hold a contradictory stance."